The American Legion has started a fund to help pay the legal fees for the father of a Marine killed in Iraq and whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters.

The father, Albert Snyder of York, Pa., recently was ordered to pay the protesters' appeal costs by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The court ordered Snyder to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps, the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, which conducted protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder's funeral in 2006.

Reports are that syndicated TV host Bill O'Reilly has offered to pay the attorney fees for Snyder; regardless, the Legion will continue to raise funds to help defray the cost of Snyder's Supreme Court filing of the case.